A newly convened joint committee comprising members of Emirates Publishers Association (EPA), Ministry of Education and the UAE’s teaching fraternity held its first meeting at the EPA headquarters to get the ball rolling on developing a 5-year roadmap to promote the role of Emirati publishers in the development of a national curriculum that aligns with the UAE’s vision to build an innovation-driven and knowledge-based economy and society, and to preserve the national identity and cultural heritage of the UAE.
The committee was formed following the recommendations of the two-day Educational Publishing Seminar (EPS) held in October 2019, and was organised by EPA in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the International Publishers Association (IPA).
The road-mapping session was held to chalk out plans for the next five years to transform the educational publishing sector and discuss mechanisms required to implement the forum’s recommendations and achieve its goals, including the development of a national curriculum by UAE-based content developers, editors, illustrators, designers and publishers.
On the joint committee were Dr. Hamad Al Yahyaei, Assistant Undersecretary for the Curriculum and Evaluation Sector, Ministry of Education; Ali bin Hatem, President, EPA; Rashid Al Kous, Executive Director, EPA; Mariam Al Abdali, Corporate Communication Director, EPA; and Laila Obaid Salem Al Yamahi, representing the local teaching fraternity; Wilmar Diepgrond, Chair, International Publishers Association’s Educational Publishers Forum (EPF); and Richard Crabbe, International Textbook Policy and Educational Publishing Sector Development Expert.
At the meeting, Dr. Al Yahyaei noted that the EPS’s recommendations align with the UAE’s vision to develop a knowledge-based economy and society by investing in the intellectual potential of the new generation and by integrating the educational system within the framework of the country’s development projects.
He said that the seminar’s goals to design and build an innovative national curriculum are part of an integrated plan being systematically implemented since the formation of the Union. He emphasised that the new curricula would advance the educational system, enrich knowledge of students and preserve the identity and values of the UAE.
Ali bin Hatem noted that the committee’s first meeting was a big step forward in enabling the desired partnership between the Ministry of Education, EPA and teachers to achieve their common goals, emphasising it was a stepping stone to boosting the role of UAE publishers to make valuable and continual contributions to national curriculum development.
He said: “The comprehensive recommendations of the Educational Publishing Seminar is paving the path to not only upgrade the national educational system and curriculum, but to also take the publishing sector to the next step. The seminar highlighted how the intersection of education, knowledge and creativity in the UAE allows greater opportunities for new collaborations and successful initiatives.”
The debut edition of EPS was held from October 28-29, 2019, and hosted 22 speakers including local and international officials and experts, as well as 20 teachers.
Other recommendations made at EPS included providing publishers with training sessions and workshops and facilitating their participation in educational conferences to empower them to drive forward the development of the educational publishing sector. It also proposed the establishment of specialised committees to evaluate all educational content.